Top Ten Must-See Concerts In DFW This Week: April 25-May 1

Jeffrey Barnes of Brave Combo, a band that is headlining the Denton Arts & Jazz Fest this weekend.

As this final week in April comes to a close, we can all take a deep breath that we've conquered (a lot of) the festivals, survived the wannabe tornado season and seen the types of amazing concerts that Texas weather has so kindly afforded us. Oh -- no, no -- don't get me wrong, we've still got a lot to look forward to this week, especially by way of superb folk lineups, Denton jazz that will blow a hole through your face and a Meltdown (bass-heavy dance) festival the likes of which ears have never been subjected. Buckle in, y'all. May is nearly upon us, and that means we have to do it all over again.

Denton Arts & Jazz Festival
Friday, April 26 to Sunday, April 28, Free
A city known for nurturing the arts and boasting a university with a world-class jazz studies program, Denton holds its annual Arts & Jazz Festival every final weekend in April. Seven stages of continuous music, tents and booths filled with fine arts and crafts, food of every greasy volition and games for the kids fill Denton's Quakertown Park for three days straight. It's all fun, but the music is really where it's at. Grab a blanket and trek to the park to sit and watch more than 160 local music groups, including some area public school jazz bands. David Sanborn Trio, The Original Blues Brothers Band and Brave Combo are slotted as the headliners each of the three nights. Are you jazzed yet? -- Rachel Watts

The Black Crowes
Thursday, April 25, at House of Blues, $58.50
Bluesy Southern rockers The Black Crowes haven't released an album since 2010's Croweology, but they've hit the road anyway, and are making a stop in Dallas this weekend. A few weeks ago, before their Big D arrival, they released a live vinyl album, Wiser for the Time, immortalizing the group's five-night, sold-out NYC performances in the fall of 2010. -- Rachel Watts

Boris, Thrones, Pinkish Black, Bludded Head
Friday, April 26, at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, $17
If you're in to heavily downtuned guitar and bass tones and exceedingly slow tempos, this is the show for you. Tokyo avant-garde hard-n-heavy rockers Boris are making an anticipated tour stop Friday at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios in Denton. Filling out the bill is the bass-heavy solo project of Joe Preston (Thrones), local operatic metal duo Pinkish Black and instrumental doom metal band Bludded Head. Meh, earplugs shmearplugs! -- Rachel Watts

Meltdown Festival
Saturday, April 27, at LaGrave Field in Fort Worth, $69-$104
My first introduction to the Dallas electronic scene was a chilly, orange-tinted night in spring of 2005 at Meltdown. Drunk, I stumbled aimlessly through the dark-stained hallways of Lizard Lounge. I made out with strangers. I auditioned for The Real World. But more than anything, I experienced for the first time a spiritual connection with music. Corporations have taken a renewed interest in the genre, and their influence has taken its toll on the genre, and now many songs are quickies, instead of heart-pounding, soul-affirming sessions. Luckily, French production duo Justice, featured on every teenage weekend warm-up mix from 2006 to 2009, will play a DJ set at this year's Meltdown, and that's worth the price of admission alone. -- Lee Escobedo

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Saturday, April 27, at House of Blues, $20
Psychedelic survivors Black Rebel Motorcycle Club drop in to Dallas for a House of Blues gig on their way to headlining Psych Fest in Austin. Chugging along since 1998, the band, who relatively recently replaced founding drummer Nick Jago with Leah Shapiro, are an excellent time live. While they may get billed as slower, spacier rock, they made their name on the back of several excellent rock 'n' roll rippers, including "Whatever Happened to My Rock and Roll?" and "Stop." Given this, their gigs move intermittently between the psychedelic numbers and the high-energy bouncers, often in the space of the same song. I saw them once at an actual biker's festival in England, and while the Hells Angels-staffed security decided to throw preceding act the Fun Lovin' Criminals off the stage themselves, BRMC got their full approval and ended up playing an encore at the insistence of the terrifying security. With no Hells Angels there to intimidate them, and with lots of tempo changes, smoke and lights, you've got an excellent Saturday night out at House of Blues. Bass Drum of Death offer up excellent support, so get there early. -- Gavin Cleaver

you forgot about the NEW SCIENCE PROJECTS - "HARD ON" - CD RELEASE (FREE) show at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios on Saturday and Terminator 2 / Bludded Head / Cerulean Giallo / Cult Life / A Smile Full of Ale at Macaroni Island on Monday...